Reversing-valve for steam-engines



(No Model.)

J. W. DENNIS & P. A. SHOEMAKER.

' REVERSING VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINES. No. 424,183.

. 6. m 0 a ,w w o w I w M m w 2 H J: M a .M muM I/IVW 1 v w f w b 6 u aP UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH IV. DENNIS AND FRANK A. SHOEMAKER, OF BUFFALO, NEIV YORK.

REVERSING-VALVE FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,183, dated March25, 1890.

Application filed August 26, 1889. Serial No. 321,933. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH W. DENNIS and FRANK A. SHOEMAKER, citizensof the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inReversing-Valves for Steam-Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that class of steamengines which contain twoor more cylinders and connected pistons, and in which the steam enters achamber formed between the cylinders and is admitted from saidintermediate chamber to the outer ends of the cylinders and exhaustedtherefrom by a rotary valve secured to the engineshaft. An engine ofthis kind is shown and described in Letters Patent No. 409,457, datedAugust 20, 1889.

The object of our present invention is to provide means whereby themotion of the engine can be readily reversed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of ourimproved steamengine. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section atright angles to Fig. 1, showing a front elevationof the rotary valve.Fig. 3 is a similar view with the valve removed. Fig. 4 is a verticallongitudinal section in line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a face view of therotary valve. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-section in line y y, Fig. 1.Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the shifting-cylinder.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A A represent two single-actin g pistons arranged in two cylinders 13 B,which communicate at their inner ends with anintermcdiate steam-chamberO.

a represents the engine-shaft, journaled in an elongated bearing 1),which is formed on the rear side of the chamber 0. The shaft a projectsinto the chamber C and carries within the latter a counterbalanced crankD, having a wrist-pin cl, which is connected with both pistons A A byrods E E.

f is the steam-supply pipe opening into the intermediate chamber 0 andattached to a removable head or cover F, which closes an opening in thefront wall of said chamber.

G represents a circular valve chamber formed in the rear portion of thechamber O, behind the crank-wheel D, and concentric with theengine-shaft.

G represents a circular valve-seat arranged in the valve-chamber G, andG represents the circular or disk valve which is secured to theengine-shaft behind the crank-wheel.

The valve-seat G is provided with two segmental slots or openings g g,arranged horizontally on opposite sides of the shaft and forming acommunication between the valvechamber G and an annular chamber I-I,formed in rear of the valve-seat.

h h represent the steam-portawhich eX- tend from the upper and lowersides of the chamber II, respectively, to the upper and lower ends ofthe cylinders 13 B.

I represents an annular exhaust-port, which surrounds the inner portionof the bearing of the engine-shaft and communicates at its front endwith an annular opening 71, formed in the valve-seat G between thesegmental openings 9 g and at its rear end with an exhaust-pipe t". Thevalve G2 is provided with an arc-shaped steam-port j, which is adaptedto open a communication between the intermediate steam-chamber O andeither of the openings g g of the valve-seat.

j represents an exhaust-cavity formed in the rear side of the valvediametrically opposite the port j and adapted to open a co1nmunicationbetween the annular exhaust-port I and either of the openings 9 g.

The chamber II and the annular exhaustport I are separated by a hollowcylinder or sleeve K, which is seated in a circular cavity orenlargement 70, formed in the outer wall of the exhaust-port I. Thefront end of the cylinder K bears against the rear side of thevalve-seat G between the annular opening 2'. and the segmental openingsg g. The front portion of the outer surface of the cylinder K forms theinner wall of the annular chamber H.

k k represent wings or partitions formed 5 on the outer surface of thecylinder K on diametrically-opposite sides thereof and fitting snuglywithin the chamber II, and having their outer surfaces or edges bearingagainst the outer wall of the chamber II. The chain- 'ber H is dividedinto two separate compartments by the win gs or partitions 70 so thateach compartment communicates separately with one of the steam-ports hh. The wings k k are arranged between the segmental slots g g on thevalve-seat G, so that one of said slots is in communication with one ofthe compartments of the chamber H, while the other slot is incommunication with the other compartment.

The cylinder K is capable of being turned in its seat to change theposition of the wings k k in the chamber H, and the cylinder K isprovided for this purpose with a handle Z, which projects through a slotZ, formed in the outer wall or casing surrounding the bearing 1). Whenthe cylinder K is in the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, inwhich position the handle Z is at one end of the slot, as shown in Fig.6, the wing 70 is arranged at the upper end of the segmental opening 9'andv the wing 70 at the lower end of the segmental opening g. Thesegmental opening g communicates with the steam-port it, while thesegmental opening g communicates with the steam-port h. Upon turningthecylinderK inits seat until the handle Z rests against the opposite endof the slot Z the wing it will be placed at the upper end of thesegmental opening g and the wing 70 at the lower end of the segmentalopening g, and in this position of the wings the segmental opening 9communicates with the steam-port 72, while the segmental opening gcommunicates with the steam-port h. By thus shifting or reversing thepartition-cylinder K the comm unication of the openings 9 g of thevalve-seat with the ends of the two cylinders is reversed and theengine-shaft is caused to rotate in a reversed direction withoutchanging the position of the valve.

We claim as our invention 1. The combination, with two cylinders and anintermediate connecting-chamber, a shaft provided with a crank Withinsaid intermediate chamber, and two pistons connected with said crank, offixed ports leading to the outer end of each cylinder, a fixedvalve-seat provided with an opening for each port; a valve rotating withthe crank-shaft, and movable partitions arranged between the valve-seatand the ports, whereby the communication between the openings in thevalve-seat and Ehe ports can be reversed, substantially as set orth.

2. The combination, with two cylinders and an intermediateconnecting-chamber, a shaft provided with a crank within saidintermediate chamber, and two pistons connected with said crank, ofportsleading to the outer end of each cylinder, a chamber communicating withthe inner ends of said ports, a shiftingcylinderprovided with partitionsarranged in said chamber, a valve-seat provided with openings arrangedbetween the partitions of the shifting-cylinder and exhaust-port, and avalve rotating with the shaft, whereby upon shifting thepartition-cylinder the communication between the openings in thevalve-seat and the steam-ports is reversed, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with two cylinders and .an intermediateconnecting-chamber, a shaft provided with a crank within saidintermediate chamber, and two pistons connected with said crank, ofports leading to the outer end of each cylinder, an annular chambercommunicating with the inner ends of said pis-

